The need for women's apparel suitable to make breast feeding possible without detracting from styling or aesthetic considerations has been recognized, and addressed by several issued United States patents, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,004,294; 4,648,404; 4,208,743; 4,660,227; 5,544,364; 5,461,725; 6,282,719 B1; 4,528,699; U.S. Patent and U.S. Publication No. 2001/0039672 A1.
Previous relevant and prior art has been directed towards underwear, sleepwear, dresses, blouses, lingerie and other underwear for the purpose of allowing mothers to breast feed without disrobing. Each of these garments requires the use of an incorporated or external nursing brassiere. These brassieres provide support in a similar fashion to that used by traditional brassieres. An inherent flaw in their design is that they cannot expand freely to allow for the swelling of the breast that occurs between feedings, and the nursing mother has to obtain larger sizes to ensure comfort. Elastic materials and wires used to provide support to the breasts allow some level of stretch but usually not enough, and as a result are uncomfortable, and along with sweating may cause skin irritation and itching in areas of contact. Mastitis may occur as a result of the constriction caused by current nursing bras. U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,830, issued to B. E. White teaches a nursing brassiere with a shortened support wire that provides breast support under normal wear conditions. The brassiere has overlapping frontal portions each with a cuplike configuration for covering the wearer's breasts, and the lower portions of frontal portions are attached in their entirety, to a lower elastic sewn portion below the breast, which includes a wrap-around band. When nursing takes place, a frontal portion is pulled aside to displace the supporting wire and expose the breast for nursing access. However, this embodiment does not allow for comfort when the breasts swell with milk and cause stretching of the elastic wrap-around band and the under wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,719B1 issued to C. A. Vera and L. D. tucker, describes a combination nightgown and bra for women after pregnancy; the bra enables the wearer to nurse her baby by unsecuring a flap on either cup and resecuring upon completion of nursing without the need for taking off any articles of clothing. The invention includes two triangular bra cups having an upper edge and a bottom edge; each of the upper edges is attached to a shoulder strap by a hook and loop fastener, and each of the bottom edges is attached in its entirety to an elastic band skirting all around to provide support. This invention does not provide for support and comfort of swelling breasts because both bra cups are fully attached at the bottom edge to the elastic band, and in the middle portion to each other. The elastic band is constrictive and may be uncomfortable when the breasts are enlarged. As discussed above, this along with sweating may cause skin irritation.
U.S. Publication No. U.S. 2001/0039672 A1 filed by J. B. Force describes a nursing brassiere constructed as a garment in which the support is provided with cups which fit snugly to hold breast pads. The breast cup has 1) a bottom frontal panel that is attached to a top panel constructed of stretchable fabric and 2) a bottom frontal panel joined to a one and one half inches wide elastic band going around the diaphragm giving adequate support. Thus the flaw in this garment is the use of the stretchable fabric and elastic band all around to provide support to the variably expanding breasts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,404 issued to S. A. Clark describes a functionally coordinated nursing slip and a subjacent coordinated nursing bra which can be worn together or separately when desired. The slip bosom and the bra-nursing flap open and close decorously and efficiently as a unit since they are surface connected. This surface connection also supports the slip when its shoulder straps are connected to open the unitary bosom, that is, the opened slip shoulder straps are retained on the bra so that they do not become lost during nursing under the wearer's clothing.
Thus, countless designs have been described, each with its prospective strengths and weaknesses. Despite the myriad of choices available, there are still needs that are not met by the presently available options. In fact, the present invention was conceived by the co-inventor, L. L. Schneider III, when she herself was nursing her baby and could not find a suitable breast support that could be adapted for use in her maternity and/or nursing and later, regular garments.